High volume conveyor sortation system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sortation system, comprising:
- a sorter assembly for receiving product and for sorting that product to a series of sortation lines;
a slug-building assembly which builds product slugs on a conveying surface, wherein product slugs are discharged from said conveying surface and supplied for sortation by said sorter; and
a control, wherein said control determines a rate of product being sorted by said sortation assembly and wherein said control affects operation of said slug-building assembly as a function of the rate of product being sorted by said sorter assembly, wherein said control generally matches the rate of product released by said slug-building assembly with the rate of sortation of product at said sorter assembly.
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Abstract
A sortation system and method includes providing a sorter assembly and a slug-building assembly. Product is received by the sorter assembly and sorted to a series of sortation lanes. The slug-building assembly includes a plurality of supply lines supplying product for sorting by the sorter assembly. At least one of the supply lines includes an accumulation conveyor and a slug conveyor. Product is accumulated in slug portions at the accumulation conveyor. Slug portions are combined into product slugs at the slug conveyor. Product slugs are discharged from the slug conveyor for sorting by the sorter assembly.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A sortation system, comprising:
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a sorter assembly for receiving product and for sorting that product to a series of sortation lines; a slug-building assembly which builds product slugs on a conveying surface, wherein product slugs are discharged from said conveying surface and supplied for sortation by said sorter; and a control, wherein said control determines a rate of product being sorted by said sortation assembly and wherein said control affects operation of said slug-building assembly as a function of the rate of product being sorted by said sorter assembly, wherein said control generally matches the rate of product released by said slug-building assembly with the rate of sortation of product at said sorter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A sortation system, comprising:
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a sorter assembly for receiving product and for sorting that product to a series of sortation lines; a slug-building assembly comprising a plurality of supply lines supplying product for sorting by said sorter assembly, at least one of said supply lines including an accumulation conveyor and a slug conveyor, said accumulation conveyor accumulating product in slug-portions comprising a plurality of product, said slug conveyor combining slug-portions into product slugs; wherein product slugs are discharged from said slug conveyor for sorting by said sorter assembly; and a computer-based control controlling said slug-building assembly, said control including a control algorithm for selecting a discharge speed at which product slugs are discharged from said slug conveyor as a function of the rate product is being sorted by said sorter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of sorting product, comprising:
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providing a sorter assembly and sorting product to a series of sortation lines with said sorter assembly, and providing a slug-building assembly and building product slugs with said slug-building assembly for sorting by said sorter assembly, including determining a rate of product being sorted by said sorter assembly, and controlling said slug-building assembly at least as a function of the rate of product being sorted by said sorter assembly, wherein the rate of product released by said sorter assembly is generally matched with the rate of sortation of product at said sorter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of sorting product, comprising:
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providing a sorter assembly and sorting product to a series of sortation lines with said sortation assembly; providing a slug-building assembly comprising a plurality of supply lines supplying product for sorting by said sorter assembly, at least one of said supply lines including an accumulation conveyor and a slug conveyor; accumulating product in slug portions comprising a plurality of product with said accumulation conveyor; combining slug-portions into product slugs with said slug conveyor; discharging product slugs from said slug conveyor and sorting the product of the discharged product slugs with said sortation assembly; and controlling said slug-building assembly by selecting a discharge speed at which product slugs are discharged from said slug conveyor as a function of the rate product is being sorted by said sorter assembly. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification